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Golden Bay
Museum
Te Waka Huia
o Mohua
Newsletter—May 2015
~~~~~~~~~~~
Kia ora koutou, Members & Visitors
The Museum board and staff hope you’ve enjoyed our wonderful summer. This quieter season
is just the time to catch up with what’s going on at our Museum as we head towards the 25th
anniversary of first opening the doors in October 1990. More about that next time.
NEW EXHIBITION: “Lest we Forget”
In New Zealand the centenary of WW1 and in particular the 1915 Gallipoli
landing are being marked between 2014 and 2018. Our local exhibition will
be on display until at least October this year. It has a thoughtful approach, to
the stories of the horses and the mounted riflemen, nurses, domestic life
back home, and the personal impact on local families.
We are very grateful for items lent, including a 10th Nelson
Mounted Rifles uniform from Sir Greg Theatrics of Mapua, and for
the striking desert backdrop painted by Philly Hall, who has
generously done previous display backdrops. Some oral histories
are also part of the exhibition, thanks to work by Robert Jenkin.
We invite local families with WW1 memorabilia and stories they are willing to
share to contact the museum. There’s a special display case where your
family’s items can go on display for a month or so. Visitors find such personal
connections of particular interest.
Sweetheart brooches
Please phone Karen (525-6268) if you would like to offer items for short-term display.
Annual General Meeting—Sunday 7 June, 2.30pm
Guest Speaker: Gerard Hindmarsh
This is YOUR chance to come and ask questions, make suggestions, and find out about our plans.
Enjoy Gerard’s talk and then share afternoon tea.
Come to the Anglican Church Hall, Commercial Street, behind Epiphany Church (opposite Mariposa)
Our 25th Anniversary (October 2015)
... a quick update
Alan McLean continues his patient work on the whale skeleton. It’s in a small container at Collingwood Museum
Society’s Rockville site. The detailed plans and specifications for the whalery to house it are almost complete,
and we will then put them out to tender.
At the same time, we’re writing to selected large national businesses and applying for grants to support Alan’s
whale work, and to build the whalery. There’s no fairy godmother yet, but we are confident that we’ll be able to
raise the funds (about $75,000 all-up) over time. This will continue to be our 25th anniversary project until it’s
been completed. (Reminder: We are a registered charity, so donations over $5 are tax-deductible.)
Watch out for anniversary events to let you explore and enjoy our amazing Golden Bay/Mohua history.
73 Commercial Street, Takaka, Golden Bay/Mohua, New Zealand
T: +64-3-525-6268 // E: goldenbaymuseum@xtra.co.nz // www.goldenbaymuseum.org.nz
Our Staff (all our staff are part-time, together they
are the equivalent of one full-time staff member):
Karen Johnson, Collections/Admin Manager
Sally Gaffney, Archives Manager
Lee Rzoska, Collections Assistant
Contact Us:
phone: +64-3-525 6268
postal: 73 Commercial Street, Takaka 7110
email: goldenbaymuseum@xtra.co.nz
www.goldenbaymuseum.org.nz
Please note that research enquiries are by
appointment only.
Happenings:
 We enjoyed a visit from several members of
Motueka and District Historical Association
on 28 March, showing them behind the scenes
and comparing how we manage our archival
collections.
 The Museum made a submission to Tasman
District Council’s Long-Term Plan, seeking
some additional funding for staffing. We also
sought a district-wide review of heritage services,
to make sure that there is a better understanding
of what is needed, and how it is carried out and
resourced.
 Sadly the Junction Hotel in Takaka has closed.
A special community gathering on 29 March at
the hotel paid tribute to the community spirit of
Nola & Graham Drummond and their support
for many local groups, including the Museum.
 The volunteer season ended at Easter and we
pay tribute to their time generously given over a
busy summer season. Thank you—it makes such
a difference to visitors to find helpful welcoming locals to greet them.
Local History—Did you Know?
Ferntown, on the west bank of the Aorere River, was the 1894
birthplace of Jane Crook, daughter of a coalminer. She is better
known under her married name
of Jean Devanny, author of
several novels and a committed
socialist and feminist. Her first
novel The Butcher Shop was
banned for nearly 30 years. Our
reference collection includes a
copy of her fourth novel Dawn
Beloved (1928) which is set in
Puponga, where her husband
Hal was a miner at the time of
WW1. It provides interesting
insights into the small rural/
mining communities of western
Golden Bay/Mohua.
Jean Devanny; ca 1920s. Portrait by S P Andrew Studio (Sir George Grey
Collections, Auckland Libraries)
Books, Cards & more
One way to support the Museum is by purchasing items we
have for sale. These include the Museum’s own publications
(Strangers in Mohua, several booklets & attractive greeting
cards), plus some additional Abel Tasman items and Heritage
Golden Bay’s publication The Post Offices of Golden Bay.
We also have a selection of recent commercial publications
on local history topics, plus some DVDs on historical themes
produced by Golden Bay High School. Issues of the Nelson
Historical Society Journal are also stocked; these usually
have at least one article of Golden Bay interest.
Come in and check out what we have in stock!
Do you enjoy typing?
The original Margaret Wilson Collection
has never been digitally catalogued, but
we’re starting to make progress on this
by typing up the original handwritten
and typed lists. Then we’ll be able to
search them. If you enjoy typing (and it
can be done at home) you could help this
project along.
Please phone Karen: 525-6268
STOP PRESS!
Golden Bay Quilters have decided that our
whalery project will be the beneficiary of their 2015 quilt raffle! It’s
great news—and we will help sell tickets to ensure a great result.
Donations & Membership:
We appreciate your support; please remember us when you are considering
which community activity to support. We rely on donations for the continued
running of the Museum, to top up our grant from Tasman District Council.
As a registered charity we issue tax credit receipts for donations over $5. That
means you could get back 33% of your donation!
Payments can be made online to the Golden Bay Museum Society Inc BNZ bank
account: 02-0764-0063386-97
(Please include your name in ‘Reference’ and email your details to:
goldenbaymuseum@xtra.co.nz so we can send your receipt)
OR post with a cheque to: 73 Commercial Street, Takaka 7110
Proudly supported by
Tasman District Council
We enjoy adding new members to our growing list; please encourage your
friends to join us, too. A growing membership list gives our grant applications a
stronger case. Membership fees are currently $20 single; $25 joint/family. You
receive 10% discount on Museum publications plus other benefits, such as
invitations to openings.